Alameda County to cut Urban Shield after 2018

Share this:

Alameda County Sheriff’s Office The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office’s tactical team, plus KTVU’s Frank Somerville, prepare recently for a K9 scenario in Livermore as part of Urban Shield. Urban Shield is a tactical training event designed for first responders to practice real-life scenarios in events involving SWAT, emergency medical services and fire services. The Alameda County board of supervisors voted Tuesday to cut the controversial program.

Public outcry over the controversial Urban Shield emergency preparedness training program for first-responders prompted the Alameda County Board of Supervisors to vote Tuesday to cut funding for the program after this year.

The board voted 4-1 to stop running the program, according to a news release from the Stop Urban Shield Coalition.

The program — which is financed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security — is hosted by the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department, and attracts law enforcement and first responders from around the world. The next event, according to Urban Shield’s website, will be held Sept. 6 through Sept. 10.

The six Vallejo police officers who shot 20-year-old Willie McCoy in the drive-through of a Taco Bell restaurant are all expected to be back on full duty by next week, department spokesman Sgt. Jeff Tai confirmed Thursday to this newspaper.